Sometimes the idea of caring for the team you lead can be daunting. You have to follow up with a dozen unique people from different walks of life and you only see them for a little more than an hour a week. You do this all while working a full-time job and trying to maintain a social life.
What if you could accomplish all of this in just 15 minutes?
It’s an expectation on my team that every leader devotes 15 minutes each week to caring for their team. I don’t set strict guidelines for what those 15 minutes look like because I want it to be authentic for each leader. I want them to own it!
When we intentionally care for our teams, we see three major benefits:
1. Every team member will feel needed and known.
Everyone craves community. We were designed for it. When you care for your team, their perception of serving will go from “Host Team is just something I do for an hour on Sunday mornings” to “The Host Team is a community of people I belong to.”
2. Weekend numbers will be not only higher but more consistent.
Pastor Craig has said engagement drives attendance on the weekends. I also think this is true for Host Team volunteer attendance. When we care for and engage our teams, we lead them to serve more frequently on Sundays.
3. Team members grow further and faster in their relationship with Christ.
The previous benefits are great but, as leaders, this last benefit should be our primary concern. When your team shows up to serve, they show up to church where they hear messages that impact their lives. The follow-up you provide during the week from text messages to thank-you notes will help lead your team members to become more fully devoted followers of Christ.
Here are some practical ways and ideas leaders have used to win in this area:
1. Set up a group message to keep the conversation going during the week.
There are countless ways to use technology to our advantage, like group texts or messaging apps like GroupMe. When Zach, one of our ushers, needed some prayers and didn’t know who to ask, he decided to post in the GroupMe text thread for his team. Not only did he receive tons of prayer and encouragement, but he now meets up monthly with someone from his group who has life experience he can learn from.
2. Write as many thank you notes as you can in 15 minutes.
Doug, one of our team members, felt like he didn’t have a group he belonged to. He serves on the Prep Team where he gets to provide excellence for our 8:30 and 10:00am hospitality teams. When he received a thank-you note from both team leaders, at different times, they helped him understand he was part of something much bigger than just the part he played on Sunday. Doug now feels like he truly belongs—not just on the Host Team, but at Life.Church!
3. Set up a coffee or lunch meeting
Every couple of weeks, our volunteer recruiter Patty grabs coffee with some of the ladies on our Host Team. I love hearing stories about how she’s been able to help provide guidance and encouragement to her team through these meetings. Not only does she get to know them personally, but she gains valuable equity with each one.
It’s easy to think we don’t need to devote time to caring for our teams. But as leaders, we can’t afford not to. Your small investment of time will ultimately lead to huge benefits for both you and your team.
Lucas Chavez - Host Team Pastor
